How much will you be willing to spend on theatre post closure

[Theatrefanboy1]

With modified seating arrangements, new sanitizing practices. And the theatre likely being a not so safe place for seniors. Im curious for those in the general public - specifically the middle working class or families... or theatre goers that frequently attended through rush, lottery, sro.

How much would you be willing to spend on a show? Would you still maintain your practice only if lottery, sro, rush are available? Would you still bring your family to shows if prices are inflated to absorb the smaller seating arrangements? Would you limit your entertainment quantities to fit the same dollar budget for entertainment? Or would it not matter to you?

[qolbinau]

We are facing a world economic crisis right now that has not been experienced in a long time. I personally will be reducing spend to save money in case of job loss etc. I purchased premium tickets to The Music Man, now that they have been refunded I will sadly not be repurchasing.

[ClydeBarrow]

Yes.

[Sutton Ross]

With the amount of money I have saved not going out for months now, I am ready and able to spend a good amount of money as soon as Broadway opens again. 

[Lot666]

It all depends on whether there is a vaccine and whether I feel that I have job security when Broadway reopens. If yes to both of those, and if ticket prices go up significantly, I will likely be inclined to limit my theatre-going to shows I really want to see while taking fewer chances on those about which I'm on the fence.

[Jarethan]

I won't be willing to pay more than I pay today.  If prices go up noticeably, I will either (a) go less frequently, probably be reducing the number of times I see shows multiple times, or being that much more selective with my purchases, e.g., I didn't really expect to like Spiderman, Gary, Addams Family, etc., but I went anyway (and disliked them even more than I expected); or (b) buy worse seats than I have gotten for the past 4 decades (for 10 - 15 years, I always sat in the rear mezzanine or second balcony...I can do that again, if I have to).

Bottom line: I am not prepared to spend a higher percentage of my disposable income on theatre, at the expense of something else, just because ticket prices go up a lot.  As much as I love theatre, by the time things open up, seieing half as many shows as I have historically seen will still be significant by comparison.

 

[HogansHero]

Part of the premise of the OP, picked up in some other posts, is flawed. There will be no compromises on safety in reopening NY theatre. Until it is safe, there will be no shows. And when it is safe with social distancing, there will still be no shows with perhaps a few unusual exceptions. When we say that Broadway will open in the Spring, the underlying assumption is that there will be an effective treatment by then. Of course, how we choose to spend on the other side of the pandemic is something we can prognosticate about, and there will be varying responses, as evidenced above. 

[Highland Guy]

Theatrefanboy1 said: "Or would it not matter to you?"

 

Assuming that my husband and I return to theater-going at all, and if we have to adjust our budget upwards, that's what we will do.     

 

[sparksatmidnight]

I was very lucky to keep my job through all of this but until this is controlled/there is a safe vaccine/there is at least a very proven treatment, I'm not willing to spend a single dime on theatre (and movie theatres) at all.

[blaxx]

I don't think that upping the prices to cover costs will be a feasible plan. The reason why the prices are so high today is because of demand.

Last thing producers want is to scare people away. If anything, I bet tickets will be very affordable at first.

[FindingNamo]

I've been assessing and reassessing. I wonder if I will be as obsessive about getting in on the ground floor of the next big thing as I have been, so that I can enjoy them when tickets are "cheaper" even though that passed the point of being "affordable" for me a long time ago. I can't remember the phrase Jeffrey Sellar used when he said the Chicago market seemed willing to tolerate a high price, but it was annoying and almost as tone deaf as the time he said on the Tony Awards stage the day after the Pulse nightclub massacre: "Look around! Look around! How lucky we are to be alive right now." 

I was luckyy/craft enough to see the OBC of Hamilton and at the time paid more money than I ever had for a ticket, which was $100 less than I paid to see it a second time a year later.  So I think I will leave that as my capstone project of an adult hood of the occasional "MUST SEE AT ANY COST" shows. It turns out, I will live if I don't see the next megastar I love in a show on Broadway. I couldn't afford to see Bette Midler on Broadway, and I worship her. But I did get to see Betty Buckley on the last stop of the tour and that was so great.

Now I don't know what I'll be able to afford, but I know when I go back to seeing theater live, it will be in a beloved regional theater.

[BLs68]

I probably will spend more money on a good orchestra seat and see a show once. Not in the premium section but maybe a few rows back from there.

[trentsketch]

Honestly? Not a lot. I work in theatre, so the long term prospects right now aren't great. I get to start running a summer theatre program next week, but there's no guarantee that the state will allow that (or any) educational theatre company to continue with afterschool or weekend programs come September. I'm saving right now from whatever online gigs I can pick up and hoping that there's a vaccine/cure sooner rather than later. When the theatres reopen, I'm hoping the people I have contracts with are still in business and able to hire me back. 

[Jordan Levinson]

Even when (or if) live theatre is deemed safe again, I'll still be relaxing on the couch/in my bedroom viewing pro captures. I will still be afraid to go pretty much anywhere for some time, and I won't want to put myself or anyone else at further risk.

Worst case scenario, I can take a number of years potentially without live theatre. Sure, I enjoy it very much, but it doesn't/won't define my ENTIRE life. I would much rather spend some dough on a delicious takeout or delivered meal.

[VintageSnarker]

Sutton Ross said: "With the amount of money I have savednot going out for months now, I am ready and ableto spend a good amount of money as soon as Broadway opens again."

Up to $150 to see Company. It's not a lot compared to how high ticket prices can go but it's a lot for me. Not knowing which of the shows from past seasons/that already opened will be coming back and not seeing much (that wasn't just rescheduled) on the horizon, I might go back to one or two big shows a year instead of trying to ferret out discounts to see as many shows as possible.

[SweetLips22]

I now pay A $150.for an hour massage[in Australia] and A$200. is my tops for a large professional show. If I wait for 'last days', usually all remaining tickets avg A$79.00 and a good single is always easy to find.

I don't waste money going out for dinner[and I don't drink] but enjoy breakfast and coffee outings.

It all depends where and how you want to spend your money.

Always worked within a budget, never in debt and not been blessed by the money Gods.

[Wick3]

I'll still be doing my usual way of watching theatre: doing the rush line or lottery or SRO first just to watch the show. If I absolutely loved it then I'll pay for the seat (full price or discounted price) I really want to see it in again.

If I were a millionaire I'd probably buy all the seats within 6ft from my seat. lmao!

[VintageSnarker]

I have my issues with online lotteries but in person rush and lottery feel like they would be irresponsible until covid-19 is less of a concern. That said, some of my more disappointing theater experiences have happened when I paid more for the tickets. It's just harder for it to be worth it. Sometimes it definitely is. But nothing amplifies a bad show or bad performances like thinking about how much you paid for the ticket. 

[ErikJ972]

A little perspective. Without intervention between 20-28 million Americans are on the verge of being evicted from their homes. This will cause a level of economic suffering this country hasn't seen since the Great Depression. Probably won't leave much money for people to spend on broadway tickets.

A Moratorium on Evictions Ends, Leaving Thousands of Tenants Fearful

[ErikJ972]

A little perspective. Without intervention between 20-28 million Americans are on the verge of being evicted from their homes. This will cause a level of economic suffering this country hasn't seen since the Great Depression. Probably won't leave much money for people to spend on broadway tickets.

A Moratorium on Evictions Ends, Leaving Thousands of Tenants Fearful

[gibsons2]

Not more than I spent before the shutdown. The only exception is if TDF increases their fees or tickets prices, I will still buy from them. They are still the best deal in town. Tickets that are $79-$99 are my absolute limit and I only spend that much if I really want to see the show. If ticket prices will go significantly up in 2021, I will have to adjust the number of shows I see and maybe see more off-Broadway through discounted options. That of course, if I still have my job. 

[dramamama611]

I cant see my spending habits be any different...so IF costs are higher, I'll see fewer shows. As an out of towner, I also have to factor in travel, hotels and meals.